Journal-box evener.



M. F. SCHOENBERGER.

Patented J uly 4, 1916.

11- lL L.

UNIT D STATES- PATENT OFFICE. I

Y MICHAEL F. SCHOENBERGER, OF 'LOSANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

JoURivAL-Box .EVEN'ER.

To all whom it may concerm V e q Be it known that I, MICHAEL F. SoHoEN- BERGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful J ournal-Box Evener, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway trucks and more particularly to trucks of the sixwheel type. 1

It is a well-known fact that the force exerted by the brakes on the truck wheels tends to crowd the journal boxes against the oppositely-arranged guides of their respeotive pedestals and this continued thrust unless counteracted causes tipping or "twisting of the boxes and resultant wear upon their guides. This brake thrust atthe end the overhanging ends of which are aiforded suflioient bearing surface upon the respective box tops to maintain said boxes 'in true alinement, as they move up and down in their guides. At the intermediate box, however, the top bearing surface is utilized to An object of this invention is to avoid the aforesaid tippage and resultant wear by providing means which may be applied to truck constructions of standard type whereby an intermediate box is maintained in true alinement as it moves up and down n its pedestal, producing a box that is as free from any tendency to tip as are each'of the end boxes.

In carrying out this invention I'provide an evener plate to rest upon the top of each intermediate box of the truck; said plate having extensional supporting means in the form'of'lugs at each side thereof, the ends of which lugs extend beyond the box when the same is in position. The ab'uttin'g'ends of the equalizer bars are provided with side shoulders adapted to seaton -said lugs is a top throughout their length, which arrangement affords a bearing, the length ofwhich is of such extent as to providesuflicient'leverage to thereby gain stability against any thrust truck constructions as an attachment and in which durability, long life I and superior efficiency of operation are gained. Further objects are-'c'heapness, simplicity and strength of construction as well as compactness in arrangement. Other objects and advantages may apdetailed subjoined description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. boxes is counteracted by the equalizer bars,

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the invention as applied to a six-wheel railway truck." Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental elevation, partly in section on line 00 Figs. 3 and 4, and illustrating the application of the invention to an intermediate journal-box. Fig; 3. is a sectional end elevation viewed from line m Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a fragmental plan, pa'rtlyin section and viewed from line w Figs. 2 and 3, showing parts in assembled position. Fig. 5 is a fragmental enlarged cross-sectional view on line 02 Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating an abuttingend of one of the equalizer bars with which the invention is .1

applied. Fig. 7'is a bott-om perspective view of the evener plate detached. Fig. 8 perspective view of the evener plate detached." Arrowson the various section cate the direction of sight.

The six-wheel type of truck shown in the lines indi- "drawings is of usual construction, having wheels 1 secured to axles 2-that are journaled in boxes 3, said journal boxes being mounted in the customary alined pedestals 4 depending from the side sills 5 of the truck.

The truck side-frames are of the equalizing'bar type consisting ofan adjacent pair j of equalizer bars 7, the abutting ends 8"of which are carried by the intermediate box the end boxes 3. The usual springsa, are

Specification of Letters Patent. a, I I Patented Jilly 4;, 1916. Application filed'Decen ber 15 1915. v Serial No. 67,056. i

pear as the invention is unfolded in the- '3 while/the opposite ends 9 are carried by" .journal boxes, through the equalizer bars,

so that the sill frame is capable of the proper vertical movement in respect to the truck wheels.

The pedestals or journal box guides are all of similar construction and each is secured to its sill 5 in the ordinary manner by bolts 10, said pedestals being provided with oppositely-arranged guides 11, 12, and side openings 13 through which openings the ends of the equalizer bars extend to seat upon their respective boxes. Said boxes are in duplicate, one of the other, so that anyone thereof may be applied to any one of the several pedestals and each box has the usual inner bearing brass 14; and vertical guideeways 15, which guide-ways fit the guides 11, 12. The parallel ribs 16 upon the box top form an equalizer bar seatat the end boxes 3, see Fig. '1, and a semi-circular mid-ridge 16 extends across between said ribs 16 and engages the usual equalizer bar seat 17, the ribs 16 and the ridge 16, however, being utilized somewhat differently for the intermediate box as will hereinafter appear.

All of the foregoing structure is of a standard type used in six-wheel truck construction including the complementary quadrantal grooves 18 at the lower corners of the abutting ends 8, the positioning of which in the present instance will appear later.

The brakes 19, shown mounted diagrammatically in Fig. 1, are operated by suitable means, not shown, the construction and operation of which are well known in the art.

The abutting ends 8 of the equalizer bars that meet in the vertical mid-plane of the intermediate axle 2 have heretofore rested upon the top of the intermediate box in which instance said intermediate box affords approximately one-half as much hearing surface for the equalizer bars as at the end boxes to resist the torsional stress of the brake upon application of the same. This brake thrust tends to crowd the box against the thrust-receiving pedestal guides 12, in time causing tippage of the box and wearing difficulty I provide an evener plate 20 resting upon the top of the intermediate box to support the abutting ends 8 of the adjacent side equalizer bars, said plate being provided with supporting means extending beyond the side boundaries of the box in the plane of the equalizer bars, which extensional supporting means serves to counteract this brake thrust and produce as stable a condition at the intermediate box as at the end boxes. Said means inthe present instance comprises side lugs 21 extending at right angles from a bottom plate 22 and overhanging beyond said plate at the ends thereof, being preferably aslant upwardly viceaway of the guide faces and to overcome this and outwardly at 0 from the plate body to form top ledges or faces 23, the length of ,which 'is thus made approximately twice the length of the plate. The width of the plate corresponds to the width of the equalizer bar seat formed between the box ribs 16, and the plate 22 is provided with a bottom recess 241 extending transversely of the supporting lugs 21, the arrangement being such that the evener plate may seat between the ribs 16 of the intermediate box with the recess 24L over the transverse mid-ridge 16 thus to hold the evener plate in place upon he box op- The abutting ends 8 which heretofore have rested directly upon the intermediate box top between the ribs 16 are now trimmed down to form side shoulders 25 that are adapted to seat on the supporting lugs 21, the narrowed lower portions 26 of each abutting bar end fitting between said lugs with the bottom surface (Z bearing upon the top surface 0 of the plate 22, which bearing surfaces together with the supporting lugs tensive leverage to maintain the box in, true alinement and thereby avoid tippage of the box by v the brake thrust and consequent wearing away of the opposite guides 12; while in the case of the abutting bars resting. directly .upon the top of the box, said box is rendered much less stable due to the decreased leverage through which the ends of the equalizer bars act and the resultant wear is consequently made very detrimental to the durability and long lifeof the de- Fo th p p s o p enting a y p ading of the upright side lugs 21 or breaking away of the top faces 23 thereof due to the weight of the load-carried bythem, said faces are ea rranged a lan wnwa dlyand outwardly, and the lower facesof the complementary shoulders 25 seating, upon the faces :23 are corresponding-1y beveled at 28, which arrangement produces a tendency to, crowd the lugs together when the shoulder are in place thereon. y

The invention may be readily applied as an attachment to present truck constructions by merely dismantling the equalizer bars, inserting the evener plate in place upon the intermediate box top and, after narrowing said bars down to form the shoulders 25, the same may be seated upon the supporting lugs 21 with the narrowed portion equalizer bars carried by the journal box,

of an evener plate upon the top of said box and supporting the equalizerrbars, said plate extending beyond the side boundaries of the box and in the plane of saidequalizer bars to afiord sufficient leverage to thus maintain the boxin alinement in its guide.

3. The combination with a j ournal box guide, a journal box in said guide and truck equalizer bars carried'by the journal box,

of an evener plate upon the top of said box,

, supporting means on said plate extending said supporting means to afford suflicient beyond the side boundaries of the box and in the plane of said equalizer bars, said equalizer bars being adapted to seat upon leverage to thereby gain stability.

4. The combination with a j ournal-box guide, a journal box in said guide and truck equalizer bars carriedby the journal box,

of an evener plate upon the top of said box,

a supporting lug at each side of said plate, the equalizer bars being positioned between 7 said lugs and bearing, on the plate, shoulders on the equalizer bars and adapted to seat upon said lugs, said shoulders and lugs extending beyond the side boundaries of the box to aiford sufficient leverage to thus maintain the box in alinement with its guide. a 1

5. The combination with 'a journal-box guide, a journal box in said guide and abutting truck equalizer bars carried by the journal box, of an evener plate upon the top of said box, side supporting lugs on said plate and extending beyond the box in the plane of said equalizer bars, the top face of each lug being aslant downwardly and outwardly, and side shoulders on the equalizer bars, the bottom faces of 'said shoulders 7 being beveled to correspond with and seat upon the top faces of said lugs.

6. A journal box evener comprising a bot tom plate, side lugs on said plate, said lugs overhanging beyond the plate at each end thereof to form extensional supporting ledges for the purpose set forth.

7. A journal box evener comprising a bottom plate, extensional means on said plate,

said means overhanging beyond the plate at each end thereof to form supporting ledges for the purpose set forth. T

In testimony whereof, 'I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 8th day of December, 1915.

MICHAEL F. SCHOENBERGER. Witness:

JAMES R. Townsnnn.

copies of this patent may be obtained for flve cent: each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. 0. 

